HOOLIHAN, Pearl Matilda (nee Goodfellow)
July 22, 1926 – April 11, 2015
Pearl Hoolihan passed away peacefully at Mayfair Long Term Care Facility on April 11, 2015 at the age of 88 years. Pearl, daughter of the late William and Matilda Goodfellow (nee Breimon), was born in Kinistino, Saskatchewan, eighth child in a family of six sisters and two brothers. In this small farming community her dad ran the Kinistino Livery Stable and her mother was a custom seamstress. Following her sisters to Calgary, Pearl started her working career at the CPR wiping down steam locomotives. She later became a telephone operator and then a supervisor at Alberta Government Telephones (AGT), a career for over thirty years. Pearl was close to her sisters. Many afternoons were spent joining, one or all of them, for coffee at the No. 1 Legion Calgary Branch. They were also familiar faces for the Friday and Saturday evening dances. In her early twenties, Pearl was introduced, by one of her sisters, to Jim Hoolihan. They married and enjoyed each other’s company for twenty four years, raising an only child, Cindy Judd. After Jim’s passing in 1974, still a young woman in her mid 40’s, she met and became the companion of Joe Leblanc. During their two decades together Pearl and Joe enjoyed camping and travelling, including her first airplane ride over the ocean to visit Korea, for a Korean War veterans’ pilgrimage. Pearl was recently predeceased by her sister Joyce Bennett on December 24, 2014. She was also predeceased by her husband Jim, companion Joe, sisters Florence, Ruby, Mildred & Yvonne and brothers Bill & Fred. Pearl is survived by her daughter, Cindy Judd, and several nieces and nephews. The family thanks her caregiver and friend for over a decade, Irena Rozmiarek of Bayshore Health, as without her assistance Pearl would not have maintained her independence. We also thank Lynn, Ginny and Leona of Care to Share for their companionship during her time at the hospitals this past year. Thank you to Dr. Hunter, Roxanne, Celerina and the staff of Mayfair for their kindness and compassion this last short while. A Funeral Service was held at South Calgary Funeral Centre, Calgary, Alberta on April 14, 2015. Pearl was laid to rest at Queen’s Park Cemetery in Caglary. Memorial donations may be made directly to the Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary, #201, 222 – 58 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2H 2S3, or to a charity of your choice. Messages of remembrance may be left for the family at www.southcalgaryfuneralcentre.ca.
